1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to improvements in surgical suction wands and more particularly to a surgical aspiration wand assembly and method for removing blood and other fluids from a surgical field.
2. The Prior Art
Aspirator devices are commonly used in surgical procedures for a wide variety of applications. Examples of suitable applications include open-heart surgery, to clear hemothorax and serous fluid in the abdominal cavity (ascites). Examples of prior art devices include U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,109,426 and 3,191,600 and German Pat. No. 1,491,755.
It is typical of the prior art devices to provide a suction wand with one or more openings immediately at the tip of the wand for aspirating fluids. However, historically suction devices have been easily clogged by bits of tissue and other matter in the surgical fields. Small amounts of tissue can easily clog the small area defining the aspiration port of the prior art devices. Moreover, substantial vacuum over a small number of aspiration ports can easily cause tissue trauma to connected tissue against which the aspiration port is inadvertently urged. It is also desirable to provide surgical suction assemblies having a variety of configurations, depending upon the particular type of surgical procedure engaged in. For example, in some procedures a straight suction tip is preferred. In others, a suction tip with a noticeable bend or an elongated handle are desired. Historically, each suction wand configuration has been separately manufactured at considerable expense.
It would, therefore, be an advancement in the art to provide a surgical suction assembly and method which readily accommodates fabrication of a wide variety of suction devices from a small number of modular parts and which, when assembled, can efficiently aspirate fluids in small or large amounts without tissue trauma. Such a system and method is disclosed herein.